1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spinning reel sounding mechanism. More specifically, the present invention relates to a spinning reel sounding mechanism that produces sound by relative rotation between a spool that winds up and releases fishing line and a spool shaft.
2. Background Information
A spinning reel generally includes a reel unit that rotatively supports a handle, a rotor, and a spool that is rotatably mounted to a spool shaft. The spool of the spinning reel is movable back and forth with respect to the reel unit, and includes a bobbin portion onto the outer circumference of which fishing line is wound, and a larger diameter skirt portion provided at a rear end of the bobbin portion. A spool mount that restricts rearward movement of the spool is disposed on a rear end portion of the bobbin portion and is non-rotatably mounted to the spool shaft. The interior of the bobbin portion of a front drag type spinning reel includes a drag mechanism having a plurality of drag plates and a sounding mechanism for producing sound when the drag mechanism operates.
The sound producing mechanism described above that is, for example, disposed in the interior of the drag mechanism, and includes a spring member that is non-rotatably mounted on the spool shaft and a disk-shaped member that makes contact with the spring member and produces sound, is well known in the prior art (see, for example Japanese Utility Model Publication No. H06-16508). The disk-shaped member is mounted on the inner peripheral portion of the bobbin portion, and produces sound when the spring member makes contact with concave/convex portions formed on the inner peripheral side of the disk-shaped member by relative rotation between the disk-shaped member and the spring member.
With the aforementioned conventional spinning reel sounding mechanism, the concave/convex portions are formed on the disk-shaped member, and sound is produced when the drag mechanism operates, i.e. when the spool rotates in the line releasing direction and the spring member comes into contact with the concave/convex portions. However, because the spring member is urged in a vertical direction with respect to the concave/convex portions, when the urging force of the spring member is increased in order to obtain crisp sounds, there will be an increased resistance as the spool rotates and the spring member comes into contact with the concave/convex portions. As a result, there may be large fluctuations in the rotational torque of the spool as sound is produced. If there are large fluctuations in the rotational torque, smooth rotation of the spool will be hindered. On the other hand, if the urging force of the spring member is reduced in order to ensure smooth rotation of the spool, clear, crisp sounds may not be obtained.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved sounding mechanism that overcomes the above-described problems of the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.